Goodbye

The best portion of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.
~ William Wordsworth

Today at 12:50pm, my dear, sweet grandfather passed away.

As hard as it is to process, we all feel very blessed that his last few days were peaceful, and he was able to pass with his wife and daughters by his side.

By Saturday, the doctors told us that the end was near, and so the family was able to spend Sunday honoring his memory. We sat around his bed in the hospice room and told all of our favorite "Granddaddy" stories. There were many, and with each one we laughed and cried a little bit more.

One of my aunts remarked that maybe the reason that he fought to stay with us just a little bit longer was to give the family just a little more time to simply be together. We weren't thinking about our busy lives that needed rushing back to. We were talking, laughing, reminiscing, and just loving each other. That is a gift that will always be treasured.

On Thursday, we will formally say goodbye to this man that I have proudly called my Granddaddy. I will desperately miss him, our weekly telephone calls, and his fudge (he made the best fudge). However, the strength of character that permeated every facet of his life and defined who he was will remain with me always.

To echo what my grandmother said to him shortly before he passed away, "Save me a place."